The Perfect Gift
by LilyGhost
Summary: It's Ranger's birthday, but what do you give a man who has everything?


**This is birthday story in honor of The Man of Mystery. I wanted to post it on his actual birthday, but I'm not going to have access to a computer this weekend so I figured a few days early is better than a day late. The characters belong to Janet Evanovich. Any mistakes are mine.**

I parked my car in the Rangeman garage. The sun was barely visible in the sky, but I thought showing up at the butt-crack of dawn, with cake in hand, would prove to Ranger just how important I thought this day was. I had even considered trying to find someone who could make a whole-grain, low-fat, fruit-filled birthday cake just for him, but decided against it. At least with a cake from Tasty Pastry I knew that it would get eaten, if only by me.

I fobbed my way into the elevator and went straight to the seventh floor. Ranger might think I was being a little pushy here, but I figured that if he didn't want me to hang around he could always tell me to leave. Not that I actually would, though. Ranger is the type of person who is always putting everybody and everything before his own needs. He's become such a vital presence in my life, and such a great friend, that I wanted to do something to show just how much I appreciated him.

The elevator opened and I knocked on his door. I could have just used my key to let myself in, but there was a chance he could still be in the shower or naked. And that wouldn't be good. Well, Ranger naked was always good, but I didn't want this day to be about sex. And if I saw Ranger just out of the shower, or out of his clothes, sex would be at the forefront of both our minds.

The door opened and there stood Ranger in all his Rangeman-attired glory. I told my hormones to calm down, since this day wasn't about them, and pushed past Ranger into his apartment.

Ranger closed the door and leaned back against it, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes on the bakery box in my hands.

"What's going on, Babe?" He asked.

I lifted the lid of the box to show him what was inside."What do you think is going on?" I said."It's your birthday, remember? So I brought cake."

"I don't eat cake," he said."And I don't usually celebrate my birthday," he said.

"See, that's exactly why I'm here," I told him, heading towards the kitchen. I hadn't had much for breakfast and the cake fumes were getting to me."Everyone needs to acknowledge their birthday," I said."And I've seen you eat cookies before, so I know you can manage to eat a piece of your own birthday cake without your arteries clogging. You know, it's a good thing that you met me. Now you have a Burg authority on birthdays to help you."

"And what exactly did you do last year on your birthday that was so out of the ordinary?" He asked.

"I had dinner at my parents' house."

His raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," I said,"so that isn't all that unusual. But I also had cake."

"Babe, you always have cake."

I blew out a sigh. This wasn't going the way I had planned it."Fine, so I may have had cake on days that weren't my birthday, too," I said,"but on my actual birthday ... it's different."

"How so?" He asked.

"My mother doesn't say anything negative about me when I show up, and my grandmother mostly behaves herself."

"Babe, you're grandmother doesn't know the meaning of the word _behave_."

"True," I said."But some days she's better than others. Anyway, today is about you, not me. Birthdays may change as you get older, but that doesn't make them any less special if you care about someone."

"I know, Babe," he said."And I appreciate the fact that you want to do something for me, but you don't need to go through any trouble. To me, today is just another day on the calender."

I usually view Ranger as some kind of superhero, _my_ superhero, but there are times like these that force me to remember that he can be just as clueless as any other man. He still didn't realize just what I _would_ do for him. Best not to dwell on that, I thought.

In my opinion, that statement didn't deserve a response so I just continued on with why I was here."I couldn't think of anything to get you that you didn't already have so ... I'm giving you the gift of me."

His lips tipped up at the corners."The gift of you?"

"Yes, for the next nineteen hours, I'm all yours."

I saw his eyes darken and then move lower to give my jeans and tank top a once over that jeopardized my underwear.

"That didn't come out the way I meant it," I said, quickly.

Ranger's smile widened."How did you mean it, Babe?"

"That I'm at your disposal," I told him."I can run errands, help out with a skip, clean out your closets. Whatever you want."

"Babe, if I had you in my bedroom," Ranger said, his voice lowering,"cleaning closets wouldn't be what you'd be doing."

"Hey, none of that," I said, not willing to be seduced so easily."I'm trying to be a good friend here,"

"What if I wanted more than a friend?"

I sigh escaped."You never do," I said, pushing the sadness away at the thought."So what exactly would you like me to do?"

"Just spend the day with me, Babe."

"Here?"

"Yes."

"No funny business?" I asked.

"Not unless you ask nicely."

Oh boy."So that's it? No scrubbing toilets, or spending time at the gun range? You really don't know how to take advantage of a situation, do you?"

Ranger leaned close and I could smell the Bulgari from his recent shower."You've already made me promise no funny business. What else would I want to take advantage of?"

Damn. Maybe I should have made the same promise. I apparently hadn't thought this all the way through. How was I going to make it through a whole day in close proximity to Ranger, watching him, smelling the combination of his warm mocha skin and Bulgari, and not jump his bones? Maybe he _had_ found a way to take advantage of the situation after all.

I stepped away from him to give myself a little breathing room. We wouldn't make it out of his apartment if he kept that up.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" I asked.

"No. I was about to call Ella when you knocked."

"Well, you can call her now and tell her we have cake so she doesn't need to make anything."

He moved to the phone and pressed the button for the sixth floor."Breakfast for two this morning," he said to Ella.

"Hey! I wanted cake."

He hung up and crossed the room to stand next to me."You can have cake later," he said.

"Tyrant."

"Sticks and stones, Babe."

Ella showed up ten minutes later. I didn't know how she managed to get food prepared so fast. Never mind food that tasted good. It still took me a half hour to completely burn whatever it was I was trying to make.

I didn't know if it was because it was Ranger's birthday or if it was because we were having breakfast together, but Ella had added a vase with a red rose to the breakfast tray. Ranger noticed the flower, but didn't comment on it when he took the tray from her.

"Happy birthday," she said to him."I hope you have something special planned."

He glanced over at me before replying."I do," he said.

My face felt like it had caught fire when Ella gave me a knowing smile. It was still shocking how many people knew about our feelings for each other. Even more shocking was the fact that we haven't done anything about them.

"Hi, Ella," I said.

"Good morning, Stephanie. It's good to see you."

She looked at the bakery box on the counter and smiled again.

"I'm determined to get him to eat some of it," I said to her.

"If anyone has a chance of getting him to do it, it'd be you."

I gave a snort."Yeah, right. He's got willpower of steel."

"Don't I know it," she said."I keep trying to tempt him with dessert and he always turns me down."

"Anytime you're in the mood to make something, Ella, just give me a call," I snuck a peek at Ranger."He doesn't have to know."

Ella laughed."Have a good day. And if you need anything just let me know."

"Thanks, Ella," Ranger said, walking her out.

I plowed through the low-fat muffin and non-fat yogurt, seeing the end in sight. But when we were finished eating and I reached for the bakery box, Ranger grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"Not yet, Babe."

"But you said that I could have some later. I assumed that meant after breakfast."

"If you can wait until supper I promise to make it worth your while."

I was just curious enough to agree."Okay, but it'd better be good," I told him.

Ranger smiled, using all 100 watts on me."Don't worry, Babe. It will be."

I went from being curious to cautious. Nothing new there.

We cleaned up the dishes and headed to the elevator. Ranger locked up behind us as I hit the button for the fifth floor.

"So what am I supposed to while I'm in your office?" I asked when Ranger took my hand and led me down the hall to it."Do you want me to go over some accounts? Make some phone calls? Have someone whacked?"

"That's the mob, Babe," Ranger said.

"Same difference," I said. I knew Ranger probably had quite a few people taken care of over the years, but I also knew that if he did then they probably deserved it. Ranger was scary, but he had a good sense of right and wrong.

After I settled into the chair across from Ranger's desk, Ranger pulled out a laptop and handed it to me.

"In case you get bored."

I put it back down on his desk. Like I could get bored around Ranger? And I'd much rather spend the time looking at him than at a monitor.

"I'm not going to get bored. What are you working on?"

He sat down behind his desk."I'm setting up a security system for a long standing Rangeman client. He recently opened a store here and wanted the Trenton branch to handle the security for it."

I read the name on the contract."Oh my God! Do you have any idea who he is? And what they sell here?"

"Alessandro Adamo. And shoes?"

"Not just any shoes," I said."Just the most beautiful shoes anybody could ever ask for."

"You're this excited about a shoe store?"

"It's not just a shoe store. It's the mothership of all hand-crafted, expensive, pieces of art that you just happen to wear on your feet."

"Babe, you're scaring me."

"Sorry," I said, trying to get myself under control."I got a little carried away."

"You want to see how this kind of account works?"

"Yes." The only thing I did at Rangeman was computer searches. This was way more interesting. I got up and stood behind Ranger, looking over his shoulder at the papers in his hand. Ranger put the papers down and curled an arm around me, pulling me into his lap. He then spent the rest of the morning explaining how the security side of his business worked. Where the control panel and motion detectors were being placed. How the windows and doors were protected. And the levels of security Rangeman offered to it's clients. It was nice having him all to myself. He answered any questions I had without making me feel stupid for asking them. And he seemed to be more open than usual. I don't think I've heard Ranger talk this much at one time in all the years I've known him.

Lunch consisted of sandwiches and bottled water from the control room kitchen eaten in his office. When I worked there I usually ate with the guys, but today I ate with Ranger. And he always spent lunchtime in his office if he happened to be in the building at the time. I wasn't complaining. In fact, I like to think that he didn't want anyone to intrude on the time we had together, even for something like lunch.

Ranger made multiple phone calls and talked business with Tank all without once sending me to my cubby. When he said he wanted me to spend the day with him he wasn't kidding. We weren't out of each other's sight for longer than five minutes at a time. I always thought that I needed space in any relationship that I had. But instead of feeling twitchy and ready to run, I found myself moving closer to Ranger. Physically and emotionally. It was terrifying for someone like me who had a long history of commitment issues. I was also a little depressed that I was getting this glimpse of what our life could be like together if he would only give us a chance. I didn't realize how much I wanted that life with him until today. Sure, I was attracted to him. And I did love him. But to know that I was ready to commit fully to him; today if he said the word, was huge.

The afternoon went by quickly. Too quickly in my opinion. I knew we were having dinner together, but I didn't know how much longer Ranger was willing to put up with me. And I wasn't looking forward to going back to my apartment and spending the remainder of the night alone. Again.

Ranger wrapped up his phone call and stood."Let's call it a day, Babe."

"Sure," I said. I hadn't done anything all day, but I suddenly felt drained from all the thinking I'd been doing."Where to now?"

"I was thinking about just having dinner on seven, but how about we go out? I know a quiet little Italian restaurant not far from here."

"I thought you didn't celebrate your birthday?"

"I'm making an exception tonight."

"Works for me," I said."But I don't have anything dressy here to change into."

"How about I pick you up an hour from now at your apartment?"

"Okay. I'll see you then."

I took the elevator down to the garage and hurried to my car. My thoughts were jumping back and forth between 'I have a date with Batman!' and 'What the heck am I going to wear?' I had one dress that I hadn't worn yet that might work. An hour wasn't much time and I still had the ten minute drive to my apartment ahead of me.

I screeched to a halt in the lot to my building and raced up to the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time. I took a record breaking shower, shaving and exfoliating everything. I didn't think dinner would lead to anything, but I wanted to be prepared just in case it did. For once my hair came out perfectly on the first try. And five minutes later, my makeup was complete. Three coats of mascara and all. This was the fastest I've moved in a while. And that included last week when one of my skips came at me with a 8-inch bread knife.

I shimmied into my dress and slipped on a pair of 4-inch heels. They weren't Alessandro Adamo pumps, but they did make my legs look pretty good. I was walking back into the kitchen when I heard my door unlock. I stopped so suddenly that I almost gave myself whiplash. Ranger looked incredible. He was wearing black dress pants and a black cashmere sweater. Damn. He put the birthday cake to shame in terms of deliciousness.

"Ready, Babe?" He asked.

"Yep."

He opened the door for me."You look beautiful," he said,

I had on a blue, one shoulder sheath dress that hit a few inches above my knee. It could be considered a simple dress except that it fit me perfectly, and the color of it matched my eyes. At least, that's what the overly perky salesgirl told me.

He put a hand to the small of my back and escorted me out of my apartment and into his Turbo. He was quiet on the drive to the restaurant which was good, because I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my heart beating. Did I mention that I was on a date with Batman?! If I was dreaming this couldn't have been any better.

By the time the restaurant came into view, I was completely flustered. This was new territory for us. Ranger and I have eaten out many times together, but this had a more date like feel to it. It felt like we were a couple celebrating a special event. And the day Ranger came into the world would definitely qualify as a special event. He opened the door for me again and with his hand on my hip, ushered me into the restaurant. He had reserved a table in the back of the place where we had a good view of everything in the restaurant but still had some privacy. And in five minutes we had champagne poured for us and our food ordered. I'd have to take Ranger out with me more often, I thought. Everything got done at breakneck speed whenever Ranger was involved. Well, almost everything. There were a few things that he liked to take his time with. I knew that one firsthand.

He asked about my recent skips; I left out the one with the bread knife. I didn't want to ruin the moment. And I asked whether he had talked to his family today. I probably wouldn't have asked anything personal, but after spending the day with him I felt that there was a chance he'd answer me.

"On my birthday I usually call home and talk to my mother for a few minutes," he said."Everyone else in my family sticks to sending me cards. That's the extent of the birthday celebration. At least with me. I'm not really a party hat, balloon kind of guy."

"No!" I said, a look of fake shock on my face."I don't believe it." My brain couldn't even come up with an image of Ranger wearing a party hat. It was too absurd.

"So why the dinner out with me? I would have been okay with Ella's cooking."

"We don't do a lot together outside of work," he said."And since you were planning on sticking with me for the day, I thought now would be a good time to fix that."

I didn't know how to take that."Ranger, if you didn't want me hanging around ..."

"Babe, I always want you around," he said."If you hadn't shown up at my door, I probably would have broken into your apartment tonight."

That shut me up. Lucky for me our food arrived and I was spared from having to come up with something to say to that. Did he mean that he just would have wanted to see me? Or was he planning on spending the night? He knew Joe and I were over, but he hadn't made a move to change our relationship so far. So I wasn't clear on what he meant.

We ate in comfortable silence. And for once Ranger didn't say anything about my creamy, cheesy, pasta choice. I noticed that the temple didn't take birthdays off, either, because Ranger ordered grilled chicken and vegetables. I suppose I shouldn't complain, because eating like that kept him looking like that. And I definitely appreciated the view.

When we were done with our meal, Ranger asked right away for the check.

"What," I said."No dessert?"

"Forgot about your birthday cake already?"

"It's_ your _cake," I told him."It has your name on it and everything." There, I thought to myself. Try arguing with that logic. He didn't. I guess he was choosing his battles. Or maybe a day spent in my company threw off his game.

He pulled out a credit card when the waitress came back with the bill.

I shook my head at him."Absolutely not," I said."You are not paying for your own birthday dinner."

He raised an eyebrow at me."Whose going to stop me?" He asked.

"Me."

"Babe, how are going to do that?"

Good question. But I couldn't let him buy the both of us dinner."I'll call Tank."

Ranger smile was a little smug."Tank couldn't make me, either."

"Your mother?"

"You don't have her phone number."

Damn. I hate it when he's right. Which, unfortunately, was 90% of the time.

He handed the card over to the waitress while I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Babe, stop pouting."

"I'm not pouting," I told him."I'm glaring."

"Well stop," he said."_I_ asked _you _to dinner, so I'm going to pay for it."

"Fine," I said. Like he said, it's not like I could do anything to stop him.

He got his receipt and stood, pulling out my chair for me. I wondered if anybody had one of those machines I could borrow that would freeze time, because I would happily stay in this moment for the rest of my life.

It was dark by the time we got back into the Turbo. I figured that since Ranger had mentioned cake, he would be taking me back to Rangeman with him. I figured right. He turned onto Haywood and five minutes later, we were in the elevator on our way back to his apartment.

Ranger headed to the kitchen and I followed closely behind him. My plan of getting him to eat cake was derailed when I saw him pull out one plate, a knife, and one fork. He took the cake out of the box and cut a piece for me. What surprised me was that it was a good-size piece, too. Not the tiny portion that I'd been expecting. The reason became clear after we sat down at the table and I managed to get him to eat one bite of it. He took the fork away from me and fed me the rest. Bite by bite he brought the fork to my lips and watched my mouth intently as I slid the cake off of the fork. Anytime the frosting caught on my lips or the corner of my mouth he used his thumb to wipe the spot clean. Watching him lick frosting from his finger was all the foreplay that I needed. The whole cake thing was the most sensual experience I had ever had. I would never look at a birthday cake in quite the same way again.

I didn't want this sexy game he was playing to end, so I wiped up any remaining frosting and crumbs with my own finger and licked it off. Ranger's eyes never left my mouth, and I saw his hand tighten on the fork he was still holding. Take that, Batman, I thought to myself. Two could play this game. But just when my mental happy dance was winding down, Ranger pushed back from the table and put the plate and utensils in the dishwasher. Oh well, it had been fun while it lasted.

Ranger came back to the table, but he didn't sit down. He pulled me up beside him instead.

"This has been one of the best days I've had in a while, Babe," he said."Thank you."

I was ready to give him more than a day, but I didn't want to screw up any chance I had with him by saying it.

"Your welcome," I said,"but I didn't do much except eat and bug you all day."

He looked at me for a moment without saying anything. When he did speak his voice was oddly serious."Do you only like me because I give you cars?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then why do you assume that I only want you around to do favors for me?"

"I don't know," I said."I guess it never occurred to me that someone like you would enjoy my company outside of a bedroom."

He gave his head a small, disbelieving shake."You really don't understand what everyone sees in you, do you?"

"Nope," I said. I had often questioned what Morelli saw in me, too."I'm just a girl from the Burg. I'm not anything special."

"You are to me, Babe," Ranger said, quietly.

He bent his head to give me a light kiss on my lips, but as he pulled back I sunk my fingers into his hair and brought him back to my mouth. I took complete control of the kiss. It was something that I had never done before. And I had to admit, it was kind of thrilling. I traced his lips with my tongue before sliding between them. And even when our tongues touched, Ranger didn't try to take over. He let me decide where the kiss was going without putting any kind of pressure on me. When I finally did let him go, he looked down at me with a slight frown on his lips.

"Babe," he said,"I'm not going to ask you to do something that you're not ready to do."

"You're not asking, Ranger," I whispered back."I'm giving. You may not want to hear how much I love you, but I'm ready to show you just how much I do."

Before I was even through saying the last word, Ranger pulled me in tight against him and lowered his mouth to mine. This time leaving no question as to who was in control.

"Happy birthday, Ranger. I said, when he let me breathe again, my lips brushing his.

He looked at the time."It's after seven," he said."That leaves me a little more than four hours to enjoy my present."

I knew from personal experience just how much Ranger could do in that amount of time and my feet were already moving towards his bedroom.

"Then you'd better get started unwrapping it," I managed to say before Ranger caught up to me and tossed me onto the bed. By twelve o' clock there wasn't a wish between us that hadn't already come true.


End file.
